The Mullet

This is a sad story about a little boy and his beloved mullet.  

Ever since the beginning my son never grew that much hair on top of his head.  Then he would turn around to show his long curly locks. Personally, I adored his Joe Dirt mullet.  My husband, the Marine, not so much.

After the 30th time someone mistaken him for a little girl, I gave in.  It was time for his first haircut.

"Ma... what do you mean they are cutting my mullet?!"

He didn't even recognize himself.

He no longer looks like a baby now.

And no more mullet.

Sad, sad day.

Crafty Sasse Wednesday Link Party 27

How is everyone's week so far?

I'm so excited to have announced the opening of my new shop Loved.

 If you missed the post about it, you can read it here.  I hope you get a chance to check it out, my friends.  I'm excited about this new project.

AND one more thing,

Have you checked out this giveaway from Simply Spray.

You don't want to miss it, I promise.

Okay, okay.. now to Crafty Sasse Wednesday.

Features from last week:

Inspired By Family Magazine's Cream Cheese Pound Cake.

Crafting in the Rain's Dyed Clothespin Frame.

Cherished Bliss' Fabric Lined Dresser.

Thanks for everyone who linked up last week.  You all are so inspiring!

 If you were featured, please grab a button here.

                               You have also been pinned on my Pinterest here.

You know the rules.

 

Loved

Do you remember the day you received your engagement ring?  Every girl does, right?  It is supposed to be a very memorable day in any girl's life. 

November 15th, 2008 was that day for me.

The day started off with work.  Afterwards, a co-worker and I went out to grab a bite to eat.  I can remember the exact restaurant we were at and where we were sitting.  She was telling me the story of how her boyfriend committed suicide.  Not knowing anyone who committed suicide before, I sat and listened to her story.  I was completely sadden how someone so young would take their life and how many lives that one person affected.  My aunt called when she was telling me about her boyfriend.  I didn't want to be rude since she was telling me such a sensitive story.  I can always call her later.

I remember going home and taking a nap.  I remember my husband came home and woke me up right away with excitement.  He had the most beautiful ring. 

My first reaction was to send my family a picture.  I knew they wouldn't see the picture until the next day since they were three hours behind.

The next day, I woke to a message on my cell phone from my mother. I was waiting to hear a message of excitement from her. Instead, the message wasn't excitement at all.

I remember calling my mom and no answer. So I called my grandma because I was a little worried about the message my mom had sent me. Not to mention, I also sent the picture to my grandma. My grandma picked up the phone crying.

Then she told me the news.. my aunt was dead. All she told me was that her heart had stopped.  I couldn't believe it.  I dropped to the floor in horror. She just called me yesterday! I remember crying to my husband that my aunt was dead.

 I ran into our room and locked myself in there.
 I didn't want to talk to anyone.
 Completely helpless and 2,000 miles away from my family.

I called my cousin. I knew I had nothing to say about her mother's death. I was just hoping she would tell me that it was all a lie. Instead all she said to me was: "She killed herself, Kimmy, she killed herself". Wait.. what?! All grandma told me was the her heart stopped. We sat there in silence. So many questions to ask, but no one is answering. There were no answers.

How could this be so? She just called me yesterday! But I ignored her call, because I thought I could just call her tomorrow.  Talk about taking things for granted.. because I never thought that tomorrow would never come. I didn't even check the message she left me because I could call her tomorrow.

She left me a message to say goodbye.

I didn't even listen to the message until after I knew she was already gone.

It was her goodbye. It wasn't fair. I never got to say goodbye. All I did was ignore her phone call. And she was calling to say goodbye. Goodbye forever.

I would be lying if I told you I didn't keep coming back to this post, debating on whether to delete it or not.  Or that I didn't cry once writing this. I posted something similar to this before but pulled it.  It was too personal.  With the opening of my new shop, I needed to get personal.  I needed to tell my story and how suicide has affected my life.

Loved is the name of the new shop.  We all need to be reminded that we are loved.

With every purchase from the shop, 20% will be donated to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. 

Let's help make a difference.

There are other answers than suicide.

In Loving Memory of HAC.
11/16/62 - 11/15/08

Simply Spray Giveaway

I am so excited to introduce another sponsor of mine.  Have you ever heard of Simply Spray?

If you haven't, here is some information on them.

Simply Spray®, the only non-toxic, non-flammable aerosol

fabric paint, has added five new colors to its line of specialty Upholstery Fabric Paint. Home décor enthusiasts and do-it-yourselfers have fresh color options for updating home accents and furnishings. Upholstery Fabric Paint is now available in Camel, Caribbean Blue, Charcoal Grey, Lavender and Sage Green; those colors are in addition to Brite Red, Burgundy, Burnt Orange, Hunter Green, Midnight Black, Navy Blue, Periwinkle, Plum and Saddle Brown.

A versatile and easy-to-use tool for those looking to modernize, refresh or embellish pillows, linens, lampshades, upholstered pieces, furniture covers etc., Upholstery Fabric Paint has been featured on NBC’s Today Show and in home projects in the pages of the New York Times and Country Living and All You magazines. With a patented nitrogen-propelled can design, Simply Spray is an eco-friendly, non-toxic option to traditionally harsh smelling and sometimes hazardous paints. The water-based paints will not harm the environment when discarded, unlike most dyes and aerosols, and is safe to use indoors and with children.

Upholstery Fabric Paint stays soft to the touch, a drastic difference from traditional spray paints that harden and stiffen soft fabrics such as cotton, linen or canvas. The paint can be used on all absorbent materials and is both permanent and fade resistant; it will not rub off once dry (72 hours). One can of Upholstery Fabric Paint evenly covers approximately 17 square feet.

The full line of Simply Spray’s Upholstery Fabric Paint are available online at

www.spraypaint4fabric.com; select colors are also available at Hobby Lobby and Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores nationwide. Made in the USA, all Simply Spray paints are non-toxic, non-flammable and emit virtually no fumes. MSRP $12.99/can. For product demo videos visit www.simplyspray.com.

The possibilities are endless.  Here is a cute little tutorial on how to make a chevron place mat with Simply Spray.

 Materials needed: plain place mat (ours is from IKEA), scissors, thin painters tape, a ruler, and Simply Spray Upholstery Paint in Caribbean Blue.

  We used a piece of painters tape as a place holder to create consistent, even lines.

We repeated the pattern many times.

We sprayed three light coats, waiting about an hour in between each coat. We also blotted the paint where it pooled on the tape to make sure the paint didn't run.

Tutorial done by Simply Spray.

Simply Spray just introduced 5 new colors!

You can check out all their colors they offer here.

Now for the exciting part, they are giving you a chance to win 3 cans of paint from their 5 new colors --- Camel, Caribbean Blue, Charcoal Grey, Lavender & Sage Green.

Choose three different colors or just two of one and one of another.  It's your choice!

Also, you have a chance to win $50 Visa gift card too! Stop by Simply Spray's Facebook to enter.  Contest ends February 29th.  What are you waiting for?  Hurry up over there!

What will you make with Simply Spray?

Click here to enter the giveaway!